So @always9988 and I took a little trip to the local b&m today. It was a first trip to one for either of us in quite some time.

Probably will be the last for a while as well.

We walk in and get carded, and then are told to pay 1$ to try juice as a juice tasting fee. She complies right away; as I’m strolling through looking at their offerings. Nothing exciting other than a voopoo drag for 90$ and an innokin proton; the rest was mostly aspire and smok products.

They Commented on my rig as I’m giving some advice to a noob on juice and what not. I mention the comment; because clearly one can tell that I’m not new to vaping.

Despite the obviousness that we have both been at it for a while we are handed 5 booklets on vaping 101 for beginners. In it of itself no big deal.

While I’m speaking with the noob; always is walking around tasting juice with another employee, literally 2 steps behind her saying nothing. Always turns around and the employee is almost nose to nose they are so close. At which time the employee, “what do need?”

Ten seconds later; always and I are talking to the side and here comes the employee, “what do you need?”
It was weird, stalkerish and like we were being suveyed and suspected of theft. Odd since everything was chained down or under lock and key.

I then decide to try some juice, they card me again and then say they can’t take my 1$ because my license is from out of state and expired. (It expired in March and I’ve yet to get my Ohio dL) I say fine let her have fun I’ll just sit here and let her shop in piece. I was told I couldn’t touch anything or taste anything without my dollar and they couldn’t take it because of dl. I understand rules are rules so I sit there and answer a few questions about my rig to the noobs.
Aways starts to walk around someone with her shadow (the employee) hot on her trail.
It’s not the carding issue that bugged me; it’s the fact that a person couldn’t walk 2 feet without an employee being half a step away from being up their ass.
If I were considering vaping and got that treatment at a shop, my next stop would be the gas station for cigarettes.
I hope this is only the one store: I miss going into a b&m, not knowing anyone but still feeling like family.

The messed up part is; we would probably not have purchased any hardware. However; we both have the mindset that you never go to a b&m and walk out empty handed.
They had a lot of juice that we probably would have bought and kept going back for. She is looking for a work setup so wants something higher nic for a stealth mod.
Had she not been stalked around like a wounded gazelle; we probably would have dropped 40-50$ on some liquid. Instead, she got disgusted and we broke our rule.

I started out with that rule, but discarded it quickly once I went to more than a handful

The vast majority are rip off joints at best and some are a complete menace to society

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They definitely had the huge markup on hardware. But, the juice was pretty fairly priced for “premium.” We didn’t stick around to get the prices on house juice.
You could tell, they opened up strictly to milk the noobs and uneducated.

On the upside I got a cool vaping for beginners pamphlet for voop reading.

JuicyLucyMy name is Lucy and I am a squonkaholicStaff MemberSenior ModeratorVU DonatorDiamond ContributorMember For 2 YearsVU Challenge TeamECF Refugee

They definitely had the huge markup on hardware. But, the juice was pretty fairly priced for “premium.” We didn’t stick around to get the prices on house juice.
You could tell, they opened up strictly to milk the noobs and uneducated.

On the upside I got a cool vaping for beginners pamphlet for voop reading.

I’d just tell them in the nicest possible way ...can you please just fuck off

Can’t stand over zealous staff in shops ...get the courtesy hello and if there’s anything you need out of the way and let the customer go about their business in peace, if they want want help or advice they’ll ask

I’d just tell them in the nicest possible way ...can you please just fuck off

Can’t stand over zealous staff in shops ...get the courtesy hello and if there’s anything you need out of the way and let the customer go about their business in peace, if they want want help or advice they’ll ask

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Right?
That or if you must speak than strike up an actual conversation?

Such strange behaviour mate maybe they thought you looked a bit shifty

I went down my local B&M guy couldn’t have been friendlier ...In truth I was a pain in the ass he must have got down every single grape juice for me to try, some more than once never quibbled once

He gave me a free cola 10ml sample about 20ml of free grape juice he had left over in another bottle after I purchased just one bottle of Fantasi grape ice and all cause we got chatting for a bit

Yeah I’m paying a bit more but when it’s like that I’m happy to support his business and will return

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We have the same outlook. I WANT to spend the extra money when I go to the b&m. I WANT to support local business. I don’t want to support someone who treats me like a criminal;not, when I can get the same thing without the markup.

My wife occasionally tells the story of one day in a shop when I said to the guy following us around, "Hey buddy, when you're done staring at my wife's ass do you think you can help me?" Life is too short to have to take stupid shit from people.

I live in Richmond where avail started and was kinda friends with a couple of the owners who were really nice and one was really into Vaping - he would build his own monster mosfet box mods (well before evolve and Hana).

But the main silent partner (guy who started evergreen- Chinese imports - like Hearth and Home) was the primary money backer and was putting up millions and they blew up fast - and therefore became corporate very quickly and so rules became very important- and most cool Vaping employees went elsewhere.

Oh also the $1 juice charge is law for those who weren’t aware - completely stupid law.

Is the $1 charge law or just No Free Samples the law?
Could they charge .25?

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Actually, we went to a different place yesterday.

Kalamazoo vapor- luckily, the wife got what she was looking for and some juice. Glad that she was able to shop without harassment- a benefit for both parties.

They charged $0.25 to taste juice; of which they took out of a tray on the counter. They also carded, but didn’t feel the need to write anything down. Just took a glance to ensure she was old enough; and laughed when I reached for my wallet- I look old. Lol

Looks like we found a place here that doesn’t treat customers like prison inmates.

I wonder.... is winning vape stuff thru contests legal by the law?
I suspect that it is not. Some that hold the contests now require a dollar or 2 to be paid by the winner I think.

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It is illegal to giveaway vape gear. Hence the normal charge of 1-5$ by most of the you tube cats. If memory serves most give that money to casa as a donation. I think the China vendor giveaways skate by because .. China.
It’s ptibably the same law for the taste charge. But there is no minimum charge in the law.

The CromwellThe Frugal VapistVU DonatorDiamond ContributorMember For 3 Years

It is illegal to giveaway vape gear. Hence the normal charge of 1-5$ by most of the you tube cats. If memory serves most give that money to casa as a donation. I think the China vendor giveaways skate by because .. China.
It’s ptibably the same law for the taste charge. But there is no minimum charge in the law.

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It is still legal for one individual to PIF to another individual I assume.
Just that no one in the business can do it.

I do wonder about the legality of individuals selling vape stuff to another individual though... Probably would survive in court but maybe not since selling of alcohol between individuals is prohibited...

I suppose we will find out if worst comes to worst and the FDA fully cracks down on vaping.

It is still legal for one individual to PIF to another individual I assume.
Just that no one in the business can do it.

I do wonder about the legality of individuals selling vape stuff to another individual though... Probably would survive in court but maybe not since selling of alcohol between individuals is prohibited...

I suppose we will find out if worst comes to worst and the FDA fully cracks down on vaping.

I was just at my in-laws this weekend. My MIL had to quit smoking because she recently had pneumonia and was diagnosed with COPD. She spent a week in the hospital.

Her and the FIL tried quitting a year or two ago with vaping, but I had not been keeping up with how they progressed. He quit vaping, and she picked it back up after the COPD and hospital stay. She was using a spinner and those cheap, junk tanks. She was telling us how it would burn her throat and some of the issues she was having. I knew the issue was junk equipment and someone who needs something SIMPLE to use.

I say all that, to say I went into one of the local vape shops. I already had an idea what I was looking for. The first guy tried selling me on some $60 junk looking vape. They could NOT tell me the MAH of the 3 or 4 devices I was looking over..... I did decide on the Aspire Breeze 2. Picked it up for 30 something dollars. Sampled some juice I thought she would like (5 cents) and it was house juice (something you can't get in my state). I bought two devices (one for me, one for MIL), 2 30's of juice, and spent just under $100.

An "OK" experience, but it's about the same shit, different shop. They all try selling you on something you don't need.

No one was shadowing me, and if they were, I would have lost my shit. I don't spend money anyplace if I have to deal with twits. Silly twits can eat a bag of dicks....

So @always9988 and I took a little trip to the local b&m today. It was a first trip to one for either of us in quite some time.

Probably will be the last for a while as well.

We walk in and get carded, and then are told to pay 1$ to try juice as a juice tasting fee. She complies right away; as I’m strolling through looking at their offerings. Nothing exciting other than a voopoo drag for 90$ and an innokin proton; the rest was mostly aspire and smok products.

They Commented on my rig as I’m giving some advice to a noob on juice and what not. I mention the comment; because clearly one can tell that I’m not new to vaping.

Despite the obviousness that we have both been at it for a while we are handed 5 booklets on vaping 101 for beginners. In it of itself no big deal.

While I’m speaking with the noob; always is walking around tasting juice with another employee, literally 2 steps behind her saying nothing. Always turns around and the employee is almost nose to nose they are so close. At which time the employee, “what do need?”

Ten seconds later; always and I are talking to the side and here comes the employee, “what do you need?”
It was weird, stalkerish and like we were being suveyed and suspected of theft. Odd since everything was chained down or under lock and key.

I then decide to try some juice, they card me again and then say they can’t take my 1$ because my license is from out of state and expired. (It expired in March and I’ve yet to get my Ohio dL) I say fine let her have fun I’ll just sit here and let her shop in piece. I was told I couldn’t touch anything or taste anything without my dollar and they couldn’t take it because of dl. I understand rules are rules so I sit there and answer a few questions about my rig to the noobs.
Aways starts to walk around someone with her shadow (the employee) hot on her trail.
It’s not the carding issue that bugged me; it’s the fact that a person couldn’t walk 2 feet without an employee being half a step away from being up their ass.
If I were considering vaping and got that treatment at a shop, my next stop would be the gas station for cigarettes.
I hope this is only the one store: I miss going into a b&m, not knowing anyone but still feeling like family.

I was just at my in-laws this weekend. My MIL had to quit smoking because she recently had pneumonia and was diagnosed with COPD. She spent a week in the hospital.

Her and the FIL tried quitting a year or two ago with vaping, but I had not been keeping up with how they progressed. He quit vaping, and she picked it back up after the COPD and hospital stay. She was using a spinner and those cheap, junk tanks. She was telling us how it would burn her throat and some of the issues she was having. I knew the issue was junk equipment and someone who needs something SIMPLE to use.

I say all that, to say I went into one of the local vape shops. I already had an idea what I was looking for. The first guy tried selling me on some $60 junk looking vape. They could NOT tell me the MAH of the 3 or 4 devices I was looking over..... I did decide on the Aspire Breeze 2. Picked it up for 30 something dollars. Sampled some juice I thought she would like (5 cents) and it was house juice (something you can't get in my state). I bought two devices (one for me, one for MIL), 2 30's of juice, and spent just under $100.

An "OK" experience, but it's about the same shit, different shop. They all try selling you on something you don't need.

No one was shadowing me, and if they were, I would have lost my shit. I don't spend money anyplace if I have to deal with twits. Silly twits can eat a bag of dicks....

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Hey man! Haven’t seen you around in awhile... glad to see you’re doing well! I hate talking shit about a b&m, but god damn did they ever piss me off!

There's an Avail Vapor quite near me; I was thinking of going in, just to see what they have, but i was with my husband, who doesn't vape, so I decided to wait and go with my son, who does, and who also, unlike me, likes high-VG (the only kind you can buy anymore!). We'll have to see if they act like stupid twits in our local Avail.

There's an Avail Vapor quite near me; I was thinking of going in, just to see what they have, but i was with my husband, who doesn't vape, so I decided to wait and go with my son, who does, and who also, unlike me, likes high-VG (the only kind you can buy anymore!). We'll have to see if they act like stupid twits in our local Avail.

Andria

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If they do, don’t bother calling corporate.
All you’ll get is a scripted bullshit response.
It’s starts at the top! Clearly the company as a whole is a giant TWIT.

The avail vapor in Wilmington NC is just about the same, went to get my first mod (smok Veneno) and he tried to push some other mod on me that was 10$ more (I wasn't getting it because I was on a budget and the Veneno kit was 10$ less than just that mod) and he said "this one's way better but if only 10 dollars is that important to you" as condecending as all hell. I now frequent places where the people are nice and welcoming and most of those places are world's cheaper than avail.